Joash nets hat trick; Lopes beat Seattle U 4-1

Friday, October 28

Seattle, Wash.

7 p.m.

Grand Canyon

6-6-3, 3-2-2

Seattle U

5-8-1, 4-3-0

Grand Canyon

Seattle U

10/28/2022 9:40:00 PM | Men's Soccer

Box Score

GCU leading scorer reaches 11 goals, ties for 4th nationally

By: Nick Macdonald

SEATTLE – The Grand Canyon men's soccer team closed out its regular-season road schedule with a critical Friday night victory over Seattle U at Championship Field as senior forward Shaun Joash recorded his first career hat trick in the 4-1 win.

GCU moves to 6-6-3 overall and 3-2-2 in conference play. The three points moved the Lopes to a fourth-place tie with California Baptist in the WAC with 11 points apiece. The top six teams advance to Riverside, California, for the WAC Tournament in two weeks.

Seattle U (5-8-1, 4-3 WAC) scored quickly off the start, sending its first shot on goal into the back of the net to take a 1-0 lead in the third minute. GCU responded seven minutes later to tie the match up at 1-1, as Joash scored his ninth goal of the season. Freshman midfielder Bright Nutornutsi sent in a pass from left to right toward the outside portion of the 18-yard box, where Joash stopped the ball with his right foot and shot with his left for the score.

And just like that we are tied!

Shaun Joash can't be stopped! That's his 9️⃣th goal this season and 6️⃣th in his last five games!#LopesUp pic.twitter.com/qy9IjkIyBF
— GCU Men's Soccer (@GCU_MSoccer) October 29, 2022

The Nutornutsi/Joash goal was the second straight for the duo, as the two scored in the same fashion last match at UT Rio Grande Valley.

The Redhawks tallied seven shots to the Lopes' four in the first half and the score remained 1-1 at the break. It was the fifth straight halftime tie for the Lopes.

The second half belonged to Joash and the Lopes, who tied a season-best for most goals scored in a half with three. Joash scored his second of the night in the 61st minute, taking a pass from sophomore defender Clayton Duarte and dribbling 15 yards to put it in the bottom left corner of the net.

GOAL GOAL GOAL‼️

Shaun Joash AGAIN❗️ His second of the match and GCU takes a 2-1 lead over Seattle U.#LopesUp pic.twitter.com/yau0Agf4YQ
— GCU Men's Soccer (@GCU_MSoccer) October 29, 2022

The Hampton Hill, England, native extended the Lopes lead with his third of the game when senior forward Cameron Weller sent a cross into the middle of the box for Joash to head into the goal. The hat trick was the first of his career and first since Weller did so last year at home versus UTRGV on Oct. 10, 2021.

JOASH WITH THE HAT TRICK!! 🧢🧢🧢

The senior nets his third goal of the match, 1️⃣1️⃣th of the season and puts GCU out in front 3-1 over Seattle U.#LopesUp pic.twitter.com/fEi5DrJw0i
— GCU Men's Soccer (@GCU_MSoccer) October 29, 2022

Joash joins a group of four others (five times) to score a hat trick in the GCU Division I era:

Niki Jackson vs. IUPUI (Sept. 15, 2016) and at Houston Baptist (Oct. 6, 2016)
Damian German vs. UC Riverside (Sept. 14, 2017)
Maximillian Moeller vs. Utah Tech (Mar. 26, 2021)
Cameron Weller vs. UTRGV (Oct. 10, 2021)

GCU added its fourth goal of the game minutes in the 86th minutes, when freshman midfielder Ben Augee took a bounce off sophomore goalkeeper Leon Schmidt's goal kick and dribbled up the 6-yard box and shot it past the goalie for the score. The goal was the first of Augee's career.

FOURTH goal of the game for the Lopes! ⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️

This time from freshman Ben Augee as the Lopes lead 4-1 over Seattle U. #LopesUp pic.twitter.com/suhPE2hRko
— GCU Men's Soccer (@GCU_MSoccer) October 29, 2022

The Lopes concluded a three-match road trip that began at Oct. 21 at Houston Christian. They scored 10 goals during the road stretch, and finished one goal shy of tying the school Division I record for most goals scored in a road contest, a mark set in that Houston Christian game.

GCU returns home Sunday for its first of two straight matches at GCU Stadium. The Lopes will face San Jose State with kickoff set for 1 p.m. They close out the regular season at home on Nov. 5 against Air Force for Senior Night.